Dispensing container for sheet material



May 26, 1959 H. A. LINCOLN ET AL 2,888,131

DISPENSING CONTAINER FOR SHEET MATERIAL FiledApril 5, 1956 [N V EN TORS. Henry A L /nco/n BY Wa/fer #7. K/e/n fiTTORNEYS provides one of the container sides.

United States Patent DISPENSING CONTAINER FOR SHEET MATERIAL Henry A. Lincoln, Freeland, and Walter A. Klein, Midland, Mich., assignors to The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application April 5, 1956, Serial No. 576,390

5 Claims. (Cl. 225-51) This invention relates to an improved dispensing container or carton for sheet material, particularly plastic film and the like for wrapping purposes, which is packaged in wound rolls that are provided in the container. More particularly, this invention relates to a dispensing container having a sheet cutting or severing means integral therewith which is adapted to sever withdrawn lengths of the sheet or film material stored therein.

The conventional dispenser cartons in which relatively small rolls of waxed paper, plastic film and other commonly employed wrapping materials are packaged for domestic and analogous uses are generally provided with a metal or other cutting or tear strip positioned at the dispenser outlet. Generally, such strips have a relatively sharp edge for severing lengths of the sheet material that may be pulled against it after withdrawal of a desired length from the container. The cutting edge, according to familiar embodiments, may be a plain knife edge or, more often, it may be a sharpened serrate or saw tooth strip.

Cutting strips of this variety may sometimes be hazardous to an inept or careless user. For example, there may be a chance for the fingers or other portions of the body or clothing to accidentally be cut or lacerated on the cutting edge if such dispensers are mishandled in use. In addition, they also may constitute a considerable proportion of the overall cost of the container.

It would be advantageous to provide an improved dispenser container for rolls of sheet material, particularly plastic film, having integrally associated therewith a safe, efiicient and frequently more economical cutting means for the sheet. This and other advantageous results and benefits may be accomplished in accordance with the present invention by providing in a dispensing container of the indicated variety having a linear outlet for the sheet material stored therein an abrasive strip on the exterior of the container which is applied along one longitudinal external angle of the container and disposed substantially parallel to the outlet and that is adapted to frictionally snub and cleanly sever a withdrawn length of the sheet material that is pulled angularly thereagainst while lying flatly thereupon.

Ordinarily, the dispensing containers are in the form of elongate rectangular paper or cardboard boxes, having a polygonal and frequently square cross-section, that are adapted to efficiently enclose and accommodate the roll of sheet wrapping material. Usually, the outlet for the sheet material is disposed along one of the longitudinal edges or corners of the container and may conveniently be formed between one of the sides of the container and an openable trunk lid type of cover which, when closed, In such cases, it is beneficial for the abrasive strip to be positioned along one of the other longitudinal edges of the container to facilitate pulling a withdrawn length of the sheet angularly against it. Advantageously, the abrasive strip is disposed along a corner or edge of the container that is adjacent to the outlet edge in order that a minimum quantity of Patented May 26, 1959 the sheet remains exposed from the container after a desired withdrawn length has been severed from the supply roll. More advantageously, it is located on a surface near the adjacent edge that extends directly in a plane to the outlet. Oftentimes it may be particularly beneficial to place the abrasive strip near an adjacent edge that is in a direction relative to the outlet which is away from the direction of withdrawal of the sheet through the outlet. This permits the withdrawn sheet material to be folded back over the side of the box after its withdrawal from the outlet in order to be pulled against the abrasive strip,

thereby providing an additional snubbing or restraining effect for the sheet during its severance.

In Figure l of the accompanying drawing, there is perspectively shown a dispensing container, indicated generally by the reference numeral 4, in accordance with the invention. The outlet 5 for the sheet material is disposed along a longitudinal edge of the rectangular container. The abrasive strip 8, which is substantially parallel to the outlet 5, is positioned along a longitudinal edge of the container which is adjacent to the outlet and is in a direction relative to the outlet that is opposite to the withdrawing direction of the sheet material 7.

Figures 2 and 3, in cross-section, show varied positions that may also be used for the abrasive strip relative to the outlet 5 and also show the wound supply roll 6 of sheet material which is provided within the container. As shown in Figure 2, the abrasive strip may be positioned along a corner of the box which is adjacent to the outlet edge but which does not require the withdrawn sheet 7 to be doubled over the side of the container in order for it to be pulled against the strip. The abrasive strip 8, as illustrated in Figure 3, may also be along an edge of the container that is not adjacent to the outlet edge. In the square cross-section container shown, the strip is thus disposed about diametrically opposite or away from the outlet edge.

The abrasive strip may be comprised of any suitable abrasive material that may be provided on the side of the container. Such conventional granular abrasives as emery, corundum, sand, silicon carbide, fused alumina and the like may be employed. They may be held on the container in or with a suitable adhesive substance. It is usually advantageous for the granular abrasive materials that are employed to have a particle size between about 50 and 200 mesh in the U.S. Sieve series. If preferred, however, the abrasive strip may be comprised of an equivalent rough surfaced deposit ofa metal, such as aluminum or another desired metal, that has been applied to the container by metal spraying techniques and which forms a rough abrasive surface upon cooling on the side of a paper or cardboard container. The abrasive strip may be arranged to be as narrow, for example, as a single row of the granular abrasive material that may be employed or as wide as /2 inch or wider. It is ordinarily desirable, however, for the abrasive strip to have a width between about ,4 and 7 inch. As is apparent, the length of the abrasive strip is at least coextensive with the width of the sheet material in the dispenser. It frequently is beneficial for the strip to extend the entire length of the container.

Dispensing containers in accordance with the invention may be employed with particular advantage for plastic wrapping films such as those which are comprised of copolymers of vinylidene chloride and vinyl chloride which are frequently generically characterized as being sarans and which enjoy widespread popularity and have great favor as a wrapping material for domestic and other uses.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dispensing container for sheet wrapping material and the like which is withdrawn from said container through a linear outlet, a means for severing withdrawn lengths of sheet'material which comprises an abrasive strip comprised of a granular material positioned along one of the longitudinal external edges of said container, which abrasive strip is at least about th inch wide and substantially parallel to the outlet and that is adapted to frictionally snub and cleanly sever a withdrawn length of the sheet material that is pulled angularly thereagainst while lying flatly thereupon.

2. In a dispensing container for sheet wrapping material and the like, said container having a plurality of edges extending longitudinally of said container and an outlet along one of said edges for withdrawing said sheet material from said container, a means for severing lengths of sheet material withdrawn from said container which comprises an abrasive strip comprised of a granular material positioned along one of the longitudinal external edges of said container other than said outlet edge, said ahrasive'strip being between about th and A: inch wide and substantially parallel to the outlet and being adapted to frictionally snub and cleanly sever a withdrawn length of the sheet material that is pulled angularly thereagainst while lying flatly thereupon.

3. In the dispensing container of claim 2, said abrasive strip being disposed along an edge of the container that is adjacent to the outlet edge on a surface that extends directly in a plane to the outlet, said adjacent edge being in a direction relative to the outlet that is away from the direction of withdrawal of the sheet material through the outlet.

4. In the dispensing container of claim 2, said container being in the form of an elongate, rectangular box having a substantially square cross-section.

5. The dispensing container of claim 2, containing in integral combination therewith and in addition thereto a roll of sheet wrapping material, said abrasive strip having a length at least as great as the width of said sheet material from said container.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,599,238 Hurlbut Sept-7, 1926 1,885,610 Lewandowski Nov. 1, 1932 2,633,985 Meyer Apr. 7, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 200,393 Australia Dec. 7, 1955 

